Ladder.



H. DUNDERDALE.

LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2B. 1914 1 ,1 1 8,404. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SHEBTS*SHEET1.

H. DUNDERDALE.

LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED APRIzs; 1914.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'R5 C0.. PHnm LlrHO.. WASH/NG ruN, 1:14 C

UNITED i srarnsrafrnnr onirica.. N

HERBRT 'UNDERDALE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NORTO CHICAGO STANDARD i EQUIPMENTCOMPANY, OIF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .A` CORPORATION OF MAINE.

LADDER.

`arranca.

l To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I-Innenn'r DUNDER- DALn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and `State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is aispecification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

IMyinventionrelates generally to ladders, and has referencermoreparticularly to those employedin connection with railway freight cars. One of the objects of `my `invention isfto so construct therstiles and treads of a ladder that they maybe easily "and quickly assembled in flocked relation `without the employment of any fastening elements therebetween. Another object ofmy invention is'to Aprovide a ladderwhich can be assembled and applied to the car at a minimum cost. a

A `further object of my invention is to produce a ladder which is simple,` practical, and rigid in construction; and a ladder capable of `withstanding the hardest service usage, and wherein the rungs cannot turn in or become detached from its stiles` These, `together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear, or are incident to my invention, I obtain by means of a construction illustrated in preferred form, in the 4accompanying drawings, wherein t Figures 1 and 2 are front and side elevations, respectively, of a 4portion of a car` showingthe application 'of my improved ladder toboth the side and endof the car.

Figure 3 represents an enlarged 'detail view illustrating the means for attaching the ladder to the car. .Figure Ll is a 'front perspective of a `pair of the treadsf'prior to their assemblage in the stiles. p

Figure is an enlarged horizontal section taken through the ladder; and Figure 6 is a"partial rear elevation `of "thertreads as assembled.

Figures 7 and 8 are views inperspective showing 'the method of assembling the ladder parts, and the parts as finally assembled in locked relation, respectively.

In carrying `out my invention I provide the stiles `9 lpreferably composed of angle irons, eachhavinginner flanges 9a and `.niter y lateral flanges 9b. Both inner flanges 9 of the stiles `are arranged to constitute outer Specification of Lettersllatent. TatentedN0V 24 i1914:,

`Application ffiled 'April`28, 1914. -SCal N0.T834,903.

is foot guards, and the lateral flanges 9b are adapted to be fastened at theirends to the car siding 13 by the strapsections 1l indicated more clearly in Figure 3 the bolts 12 removably connecting` the ladder to the strap sections, as in the manner therein shown. y A. series of `vertically alined holes 14 are formed at intervals in the inner flange 9a of the `Stiles to receive and provide a solid bearing for'the series of rungs indicated at 10 in Figures 1 and 2. A reference to Figures 1, '5 and `6 will show that eachof the rungs 10 comprises a tread portion 15 which provided adjacent its ends with the angular offset portion 16 adapted` to engageand rest in the .holes 14 `formed in the Stiles, and whose end portions 17 are bent in a vertical direction away from thesaid offset portions and slightly incline out` wardly to engage the face ofthe lateral stile flanges 9b ina locking relation therewith. In this `manner the rung `10 is positively locked against any turning movement whatsoever in the holes 14.

This statement of description refers generally to either of the two treads shownin Figure 4, the "lower one of which 10, however, has preferably each `of its inclined end portions 17. bent in a direction opposite to that of the corresponding bent portions 17 ofthe upper rung 10. W'hen the rung 10 is associated in the stiles with one or more of the rungs 10 to formthe ladder, both stiles are consequently lockedagainst rela-` tive vertical movement. In other words at a time prior to its application to the car the ladder possesses that `degree of rigidity whiehpermits its yready application thereto, and once applied is absolutely rigid in all respects. In practice, `the rung 10h may be alternately arranged with the rungs .l0

either ofthe rungs 10 or 10 may beassembled with a series of the otherofthe rungs invanv arrangement `as maybe considered expedient. y y r Y In order to apply the rungs to the stiles. the bent end Tportions o 'f the rungs 10 and 10El are passed through the 'openings 14 `in one df Jthe Stiles `S) to 'project beyond the outer flange 9b, 'as "indthe manner shown in Figure 7 said projecting `ends beingturned los "so :repito have the 'other fend 'portions teri 'minally register with the openings 14 in the other of the stiles topass therethrough.

The projecting bent ends are then each given a quarter turn to occupy a vertical position so that the other end portionsy moved outwardly along the rungs and turnedlinwardly to the position shown Vin Figure 8. which illustrates a portion of the complete ladder.

While other vcommercial rolled sections may be used instead of the angle irons shown, such as a lchannel iron which use is suggested in Figure 3, l prefer to use the angle irons, `for in the event of any desired replacement 'of a rung, vone of the stiles maybe quickly uncoupled from its end 'straps by removing top and bottom bolts 12, which Vare conveniently placed for this reason, and then moved inwardly along the rungs toward the inner position indicated in Figure 7, so yas to permit the ref moval of the rung and the `replacement of another. y

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the ladder may be easily and readily applied to the car, and is simple, economica-l.

and practical in its construction. Another important feature of my invention lies in the fact that the rungs connot turn in and cannot come detached from the stiles. Other advantages `will be apparent to those skilled in the art.l l

I do not intend to restrict myself to the precise details of construction or to the exact arrangement of the parts as shown, as it is obvious that variations therefrom may be made without departing from the spirit 'and scope of my invention, as more particularly pointed out 4in the appended claims.

Having thus described 'my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the followingz- 1. A ladder comprising stiles and aplurality of detachable rungs, each stile having divergent flanges and formed with a hole in one of its lflanges,-said rungshaving hole engaging portions and oppositely bent end portions each inclining outwardlyQfrom said hole engagingportions substantially in -a vertical direction lto abut lthe Aother of the flanges at points respectively'above and be-y low the said holes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. l l

2. .A safetyladder .comprising angle bar stiles Vand a pluralityl of rungs, each stile having innerl and outer `a'nges and formed Copies of'this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by

Washingtoml). Gf

set portions substantially in a vertical diwith a hole in its inner flange, and each rung comprising a tread having offset hole engaging 'portions and opp'ositely bent end portions inclining outwardly from said ofl`- rection to have an abutting locked relation with the inner face of the outer flange at points respectively above and below the medium line of the tread. i

3. In a safety ladder, the combination of a pair of stiles anda plurality of rungs therefor, each of said stiles having inner and outer, divergent flanges vand formed with holes in its inner flange, one ofsaid rungs being provided with hole-engaging portions and oppositely bent end portions disposed `in an abutting relation with the inner faces'of the outer flanges at each side of the ladder, and an adjacently positioned rung 'adapted to engage another pair of holesand having an end portion 'locking with the outer flange at one side of the ladder, said end portion being oppositely bent with respect tothe adjacent end vportionv of the first mentioned rungto lock lthe stiles against relative movement 'in the plane ofthe ladder.

4E. ln a safety` ladder, thegcombination of a lpair of angle bar stiles each :having holes formed in'oneof its divergent flanges and a pair of rungs having offset portions eugagingjin said holes,yeach runghaving oppositely bent end portions extending angularly from sad-offset-pOrtiOns to'engage the sides of the stiles,1said end' portions at one'side ofthe ladder lbeing bent inwardly? toward ye'ac'h 'other and outwardly away from each other 'at the `other side `of the ladder to lock the rungs.

5. A ladder 'comprising stiles and a plu rality of rungs, adjacent ends ofsaid rungs at one side of the ladder having offset @hole engaging portions and oppositely bent end portions inclinin'g outwardly from said olfset portions, and one of the vStiles having divergent flanges and formed withfv-e'rtically alined holes in vone of its flanges through which the said o fset'andfbent end portion are initially passed,'theother flange of the stile being turn'able inwardlyon the offset portions to 'abut the said oppositely bent end portions to lock the rungs, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof .I `have vhereunto presence vof the two addressing tlfe Commissioner df Patents, 

